Letter writer: Drone detracted from LEAF Downtown AVL performance

While attending LEAF Downtown AVL [the evening of Aug. 1], during the performance, a drone appeared above the audience. It came lower and lower, hovering, intimidating and frankly threatening the people in attendance.

Presumably, it was taking unauthorized photos. It was a terribly unnerving experience and totally distracted my attention from the performers.

Surely some restrictions need to be enacted to prevent these invasions of privacy and intimidation tactics. Agree? Let the “powers that be” know!

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When the drone soon/ever visits my house I envision the scene from HOME ALONE when the crook is peering into the house only to see a copper BB heading his way. The drone’s camera will see that scene once and again
as fast I can place another BB in the chamber and pump air into the BB rifle. Banzai!!

“Surely some restrictions need to be enacted to prevent these invasions of privacy and intimidation tactics. ”

You are downtown at a street festival with hundreds, if not thousands, of other people are you are concerned about “privacy?” By definition there is no privacy in such a situation You are in a public place. If you are that paranoid maybe you need to think about staying in.

Under the drone legislation hidden in last years budget, there is no such thing as privacy anymore in North Carolina, once you set foot outside your house. Whether this was a photographer connected with LEAF, or a random hobbyist, they will be indistinguishable from law enforcement, which now has the authority to hover overhead & video (with facial recognition software) any public gathering, forever, the end.

It maybe the situation that there is no privacy in public. However, the causal use of drones, like the one at LEAF that was six feet over people’s heads, will change by drone or operator failure. When the drone crashes into the crowd with rotors turning, the resulting injuries and lawsuits, will soon change drone-happy fliers attitudes. Run someone over walking on a sidewalk or hit them in the head with a drone, both in locations where personal safety trumps machine operator, and neither operator will have a roof over their heads. Eagles and shot guns have taken drones down. A drone over your personal property is no different than a trespasser looking in your window. Crazy GOP laws will be overturned in coming drone related lawsuits.

Get used to them or get some shades and a wide-brimmed hat. Getting your photo taken by a photographer on the ground or in the air doesn’t make a difference and is within the public’s rights. Your right to privacy is in your home with the curtains closed.

The committee that drafted the drone laws was dominated by drone industry interests and ALEC members, including then-ALEC Board member Tim Moffitt. They catered to law enforcement desires and pro-drone business interests, and no one concerned with privacy issues was even invited to speak.

Oddly, this guy has claimed publicly that he personally drafted the drone legislation with the head of North Carolina’s drone-testing agency, NGAT, and no one has disputed it: